Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (foot) underwent a foot/ankle surgery recently that addressed an impingement he first noticed in July. After treatment and injections weren't making the pain go away, surgery was deemed necessary so that he could jump and move without pain. During media day, Herro gave an update and said that he will likely miss 8-to-12 weeks, but he told head coach Erik Spoelstra that he would be back in six weeks. If he misses the maximum amount of time in that timetable, that would mean he returns around the end of December. In the meantime, the Heat will likely roll out some different lineup combinations with Norman Powell, Terry Rozier, Davion Mitchell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Andrew Wiggins.

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller only appeared in 27 games before his second season was cut short due to a torn ligament in his right wrist. Around July, Miller said he was around "90-95%" healed, which put him on track for training camp. At media day on Monday, General Manager Jeff Peterson stated that Miller was healthy and ready to participate in training camp. The former second-overall pick looked primed to make a leap in his second year after averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, so he'll look to build off of that while the rest of the team tries to get healthy as well.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard Gary Payton II will return to the Warriors. The terms of the contract weren't announced. Like Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton, who also agreed to deals, Payton was anticipated to sign for months. However, negotiations with restricted free-agent Jonathan Kuminga made things more complicated. Payton logged 62 games for the Warriors last season, his most appearances since the 2021 campaign. He wasn't very productive, averaging only 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. There are many different directions Steve Kerr can go with his lineups this season. While Payton should get minutes, he historically hasn't offered much to fantasy managers in terms of production. That's not expected to change, making him nearly irrelevant from a fantasy standpoint.

Accoring to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard De'Anthony Melton will sign with Golden State. The 2018 No. 46 overall pick appeared in only six games for the Warriors last season before suffering a torn ACL. He played relatively well despite the small sample size, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Melton was traded to Brooklyn ahead of the deadline, although he never suited up for the Nets due to the injury. It was announced on Sunday that Gary Payton II and Al Horford would also be inking deals with the Dubs, so the team is on track to rounding out the roster after months of failed negotiations with restricted free-agent Jonathan Kuminga. As far as Melton is concerned, he'll likely hold a routine role in Steve Kerr's rotation while being used situationally for defensive reasons. However, he's not expected to be a consistent producer for fantasy managers even if he ends up spending time in the starting lineup.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent forward/center Al Horford agreed to a multi-year deal to join the Warriors. This has seemingly been in the works. However, negotiations with restricted free-agent Jonathan Kuminga stalled the process. The 2007 No. 3 overall pick averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds last season. While he wasn't consistently reliable for fantasy managers throughout the 2024 campaign, he still had some productive showings. With that said, it's hard to imagine Horford logging more than 60 games this season. It's also realistic to assume he'll miss time with an injury. Still, the veteran has double-double upside, especially when he starts, which seems to be the plan. Horford is efficient from the charity stripe and can get hot from behind the arc. Unfortunately, his presence could mean that Moses Moody will come off the bench. That may also apply at times to Draymond Green.

Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang (foot) will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. The team announced that Niang suffered a fourth metatarsal stress reaction in his left foot during offseason training and conditioning. He is scheduled for re-evaluation in two weeks. This marks a setback for Niang ahead of his return to Utah. He'll be expected to help improve the team's poor 35 percent three-point shooting from last year. Niang himself shot 40.6 percent from distance across 79 appearances with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. He averaged a career-high 9.9 points while grabbing 3.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Jared McCain (thumb) will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The talented sophomore is set to undergo surgery after suffering a UCL tear in his right thumb. Given the expected timeline for his recovery, McCain is likely to miss at least the first few games of the regular season. His absence might lead to more playing time for Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, although the two veterans have been struggling to be effective in recent seasons, so fantasy managers should keep their expectations low.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Gradey Dick (knee) will be available for training camp, TSN's Josh Lewenberg reports. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster had no injuries to report ahead of camp during his press conference on Friday. Dick missed the end of 2024-25 due to a knee injury, playing his final game on March 2. He had a good sophomore season, averaging 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 29.4 minutes. However, Dick benefited from Toronto's injuries throughout the year, and his numbers are likely to take a hit in 2025-26, now that the team is healthy again.

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder) is back at 100 percent for the start of training camp, general manager Onsi Saleh told reporters during his preseason press conference. Johnson's 2024-25 campaign ended in January due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Before the injury, Johnson was having a breakout season, averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Johnson's versatile skill set makes him a highly valuable player in fantasy basketball, and he still has considerable room to grow, considering the Duke product won't turn 24 until December.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (ankle) has been cleared for training camp, TSN's Josh Lewenberg reports. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster told reporters at his preseason press conference that the team has no injuries heading into camp. An ankle injury limited Ingram to just 18 games last season, and he didn't make a single appearance with the Raptors after the team acquired him from the New Orleans Pelicans in February. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the Raptors offense, which already features Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley.

The Memphis Grizzlies took another hit to their already thin front court, as power forward Brandon Clarke (knee) is set to undergo a procedure to address knee synovitis and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, putting his status for the start of the season in doubt. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey also sidelined, Memphis enters the start of the year dangerously short on big men. This puts added pressure on Ja Morant to shoulder more of the load offensively, while Santi Aldama should see a major bump in minutes. Aldama proved capable last season, averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in 16 starts, making him a strong short-term fantasy option until the Grizzlies regain front court depth.

Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (ankle) remains sidelined following June 7 surgery to repair laxity in his left ankle and is still six to nine weeks away from a potential return. While he has begun ramping up basketball activities, the Grizzlies expect the 23-year-old big man to return in early December, leaving the team thin in the front court alongside the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. Edey was a defensive presence as a rookie last season, averaging 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and shooting 58% from the field across 66 appearances (55 starts). He profiles as a late-round fantasy pickup who can contribute in rebounds, blocks, and boost field goal percentages once healthy.

Center Jaren Jackson Jr. (toe) is expected to miss the start of the season, as the Memphis Grizzlies announced he is still four to six weeks away from returning after undergoing a July 2 procedure to repair turf toe in his right foot. While he has started ramping up basketball activities, he remains at least a month from being game-ready, putting his return timeline in late October or early November. Jackson is still considered a strong fantasy option after averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks last season, and he remains an essential piece of Memphis' core once healthy.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson (hamstring) is set to miss four to eight weeks after suffering a left-hamstring tear earlier this week. The third-year guard, who averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 assists per game last season over 66 appearances, will begin rehab immediately, with a return expected in late October or November. Henderson's absence shifts point guard duties to veteran Jrue Holiday, giving him a larger role in the backcourt. For fantasy managers, Henderson remains a strong late-round stash due to his ability to provide consistent points and assists once healthy. While he won't contribute in the short term, securing him now could pay dividends down the line, especially in deeper leagues where his return could immediately impact multiple categories. Monitoring his recovery timeline will be key to timing his activation and maximizing fantasy value.

Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond was in great spirits during media day as he said he was at 100 percent regarding his toe injury. He first suffered the toe sprain before Christmas last year, and then it lingered around for the rest of the season. Now, he said that he's "looked great" during workouts and he has added motivation because he feels like he let the city down last year. Across 40 appearances he averaged 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 18.8 minutes per game. The front court got a little more crowded over the offseason as the Sixers added rookie Johni Broome, and Adem Bona received some great experience with playing time last season and with Turkey in the EuroBasket tournament. So, even if Drummond is healthy to start the season, he may not see the same type of minutes he was getting before, depending on Nick Nurse's rotation.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is entering his eighth year with the team and the 23rd season of his career. He's also entering the final year of his contract after opting into $52.6 million player option, and the two sides have not negotiated any sort of extension yet. There's been plenty of speculation about whether or not this will be his last season, but Lakers GM Rob Pelinka spoke at media day and said they'd love to have him retire a Laker. With that being said, they're also trying to let James decide his own future without pressuring him one way or another. At the age of 40, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game across 70 appearances. Playing alongside another superstar like Luka Doncic is enticing for anyone getting into the later stages of their career, but James still has enough juice to be a great asset no matter where he wants to end up.

Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Paul George (knee) couldn't have had much worse of a first season with his new team last year. He played in exactly half of the team's games, which was his second-lowest total since the 2014-15 season. In his press conference for media day, he even referenced how difficult the 2024-25 season was individually and as a team, saying it was a "rock bottom kind of season." When asked about his knee/health, he said he doesn't think he'll be participating at the start of training camp but would help in the vocal leadership department. There wasn't a specific timeline given, but he said he wants to be at 100 percent as much as possible. Last season, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game across 41 games.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) is consistently one of the biggest question marks in the league when it comes to his health. He's only registered two seasons playing more than 65 games out of his nine-year (technically 11) career. So, naturally, he faced a lot of questions about his knee and how he's feeling heading into this new season. Embiid said that he felt pretty good and was "taking it day by day." He even said there was a plan for his health this season, but didn't give any specifics. He also said in regards to comparing last media day to the current one that, "this time is a different story." Embiid also went on to say that last season was so unpredictable that it was mentally draining, but this year he's more positive and has a brighter vision of the season. For fantasy purposes, depending on Embiid could be disastrous for managers, but if he does stay healthy, he remains one of the elite options around the league in any format.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is eligible for an extension; however, it looks like he's headed for restricted free agency after the 2025-26 season. According to The Athletic's Tony Jones, the two sides have stopped extension negotiations and are not expected to get a deal done before the October 20th deadline. The Jazz did make an offer to Kessler over the offseason, but they weren't close to actually agreeing on a deal. Jones also reports that the team is prioritizing cap flexibility for next year's free agency period. They have received calls with trade offers for Kessler, but have denied all of them. The 24-year-old appeared in 58 games last season and averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game.

The Indiana Pacers will not sign point guard Monte Morris (calf) to a contract, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star reports. It was announced earlier this week that the Pacers would snap up Morris on a one-year deal. However, the team has decided against signing him after its medical staff determined that a calf strain Morris recently suffered would keep him out of most of training camp. Instead, the Pacers will bring in Delon Wright for camp. Indiana has been seeking extra depth at the point guard position, with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) ruled out for the upcoming season.